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E-tolls: 'If you can't beat them, join them'

Cape Town - Amids the many Fin24 users who expressed their anger and frustration with the new e-tolls system in Gauteng, one user says he is sick and tired of all the complaints.

The Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (Outa) has identified harassment of motorists, SMS messages calling for registration for e-tags and the inconvenience of payment by non-registered users as some points of concern and irritation for motorists.

Among those complaining was a Fin24 user who asked why, if he is already paying tax on the fuel for the 2 000km a month he travels to work, he should still pay e-tolls as well.

Another Fin24 user had topped up her prepaid e-toll account only to find that the amount never registered on her account. Now she is battling to get the money back.

A third Fin24 user was surprised at the lack of detail on her e-tolls invoice and wondered whether this was not perhaps against the requirements of the Consumer Protection Act.

Amid these complaints one user says he is tired of all the negative comments. He writes:
 
Quite frankly I’m just so sick of all the complaints about e-tolls. Not one positive comment on the article. For goodness sake, the e-toll staff are simply trying to deal with all the queries as best they can.
 
Although not without a slight bit of frustration, my experience with the entire process - the e-toll shop assistants as well as the call centre person who phoned me back within 12 hours - has been largely very positive.

I have registered both my vehicles for e-toll the first time round already.

Never have I been hassled and regularly received my statements showing my credit balance.

Then, when the time arrived for the system to become operational, the registration process and transfer to a new vehicle I got in the meantime, went without a glitch.

The only problem I had was that both the tags I received beeped four times when passing through a gantry, but this has now been resolved after one of the friendly and helpful e-toll shop staff members issued me with new tags, which now function properly.
 
Despite this I’m also certainly not happy about e-tolls. I even supported Outa financially and followed the court cases with great interest.

I hoped e-tolling would disappear as I will be one of the users who will pay the maximum toll fees for registered users every month.
 
However, here’s my view on all the “brave-heart resisters” of e-tolling:
 
First and foremost, it is the law of the land now.

Accept it and get something else to complain about from now on.

Like any tax, VAT, levies, Popi,the Secrecy Bill and more, e-tolls are certainly not popular with anyone.

The law is, however, the law and as law abiding citizens we need to make peace with it and get on with it.

This is why I find it most peculiar that apparently several company executives are able to decide against registering their company fleets for e-tolls.

In my view these decision makers have the right in their personal capacities not to register and not to pay for e-toll.

They, however, certainly have no right to break the law on behalf of a company and in the process risk the stakeholders' interest in the company both financially and reputationally.

It is early days for these whingers.

I’ve heard many comments like “I will never register or pay and I pass several gantries every day”.

I wonder how brave they will still be when their e-toll fees pile up to the thousands by the time the full might of the law catches up with them and they sit with all sorts of problems trying to sort out the arrears.

I truly hope Sanral has all the means and processes ready to catch up with these defaulters rapidly and come down hard on them.

Consider the possible result

Have any of these “objectors” even considered that this will, as I believe Sanral’s genuine intention is, actually result in better maintained roads and even new roads to ease the already full capacity freeways around Gauteng?

By the looks of it most people have already judged Sanral to be unable and even unwilling to do this.

What and who gave anyone the idea that “all” the toll fees will end up in the wrong pockets?

I may be naïve, but I support Sanral unconditionally and I trust they will manage all the tolls collected with sincerity and the utmost care and responsibility.

I believe we need to give Sanral the benefit of the doubt.

Everyone should register

The sooner everyone registers for e-tolls the sooner the system will be able to iron out all the many challenges it will be facing, especially in the initial stages.

My view is “if you can’t beat them, join them and make it work”.
 
I get the feeling (although I’m hoping I’m not) that I am a lone voice in the darkness.

Maybe this letter will cause other “supporters”, although reluctant like me, to come from behind the trees and start kicking some butt in negative conversations about e-tolls, but without feeling like complete traitors.

- Fin24

Disclaimer: All articles and letters published on MyFin24 have been independently written by members of the Fin24 community. The views of users published on Fin24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent those of Fin24.

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